On this Day in Movie History, February 23, 1939 Walt Disney Wins Honorary Oscar

Walt Disney wins an honorary Oscar for the film, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”. Mr. Disney actually received one Oscar statuette and seven miniature ones for his work “ … which has charmed millions and pioneered a great new entertainment field.”

According to press accounts that day.Edgar Bergen took in 1937. Bergen’s Honorary, presented “for his outstanding comedy creation, ‘Charlie McCarthy,’ was a wooden Oscar statuette with a movable mouth.

Also this year, during the 11th Academy Awards which were celebrated at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles (for the flicks of 1938), Oscars were doled out for “You Can’t Take It with You” for Best Picture and Best Director (Frank Capra). Capra, who took home his third Best-Director prize, had won for 1934’s “It Happened One Night” and 1936’s “Mr. Deeds Goes to Town”.

The Best Actor award was claimed for the second year in a row (“Captains Courageous”) by Spencer Tracy for “Boys Town”. Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress awards were presented to Bette Davis and Fay Bainter, respectively, for their performances in “Jezebel”; while Walter Brennan took home the prized statuette for Best Supporting Actor in “Kentucky”. These were Davis’ and Brennan’s second Academy Awards; the first for Davis was awarded three years earlier for “Dangerous”, and Brennan received his first Oscar two years before for “Come and Get It”.

Also on this day in 1896 Yesterday we reported on the movie go-with popcorn. But how many of us have also enjoyed a Tootsie Roll during a movie? The Tootsie Roll was introduced on this day by Leo Hirshfield.

1940 “Walt Disney’s animated movie “”Pinocchio,”" released”

1965–Stan Laurel dies. Stan Laurel may have died from complications from a heart attack in 1965, but his professional life had ended eight years earlier when his longtime comedy partner Oliver Hardy passed away from a severe stroke. Although Laurel began show business alone, he never felt his career took off until he teamed up with Hardy.

1997 “NBC TV shows “”Schindler’s List,”" completely uncensored, 65 million watch.” Controversy arose the following day, however, when Senator Tom Coburn, Republican of Oklahoma, issued a release blasting NBC for airing the uncut film, saying it had taken network television “to an all-time low, with full-frontal nudity, violence and profanity” and that it should not have aired the movie “on a Sunday evening during a family time.” He later apologizes on CNN.

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David W. King has a forty year background as a professional publicist and promoter, Obtaining a degree in Mass Communication with an emphasis on print journalism from a prestigious northern university, he has worked in television, radio, and was the owner of a publicity firm. He is a published author, and a recognized authority.